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Friday, December 24, 2010

Master Bathroom: Almost Finished

I have kept everyone a little updated on a master bathroom project I have been working on and it is almost finished!! On Tuesday afternoon, the custom window treatments and woven wood window shades were installed.  All that remains is the light fixture for over the bathtub which, is scheduled to come in next month.....Enjoy!!




Thursday, December 23, 2010

Home for the Holidays!

So a few weeks ago, I decided I couldn't handle a Christmas without tons of snow on the ground.  So I got a ticket to Michigan to spend the holidays with my family!

After I checked into the airport yesterday, I noticed my boarding pass didn't have a seat assignment on it.  I thought, "maybe my flight is overbooked."

Well, my gut feeling was right and I was asked to volunteer to take the next flight to Detroit which was only  two hours after my current flight.  I made a quick phone call to my dad to make sure it wouldn't ruin his plans to pick me up and was ready to sit and wait a couple more hours.

Waiting a little longer really paid off.....not only was I given a free lunch, an upgrade to first class on my next flight, I was also given a $300 voucher for a flight!!! Yahooo!!!!!

So, Santa came early....I am having a wonderful time with my family...the snow it beautiful, and I am thankful for generous people!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Classic Christmas

No words! Just holiday cheer and only 5 more days until the holly jolly Santa himself arrives!





Saturday, December 18, 2010

I Believe in Christmas

Just some beautiful holiday decor we helped with this season!  




This tree is a masterpiece of layering layers of ribbons, large and small ornaments, lights, floral sprigs, floral branches and much more.  Full and overstuffed trees are my favorite and I never think there is too much on a tree.  

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Teddy Bear Christmas

It seems as though many of us have some sort of collections centered around Christmas.  My mom has a bunch of Nutcrackers, Adrienne has Santa ornaments, my dad has a Dicken's Christmas village....and one of our clients has a teddy bear collection.
She cleverly incorporated her numerous teddy bears into the garland that swirls up her banister!


Sunday, December 12, 2010

Perfect Christmas Dining

Most people know that I love Christmas.  There's no better feeling than the warmth of being with family, hot chocolate, a crackling fire, beautiful decorations, hustling and bustling around.  To me, it really feels like magic. 

This holiday season, I have had so much fun helping other's decorate and love the creativity.  Check out this gorgeous formal dining room that is set all holiday season long.
Christmas is the perfect time to break out your fine china, wedding crystal and any other silver serving pieces you have stashed away.  The pieces look amazing when dressed with red and gold and when combined with ornaments, holly, poinsettias and other holiday decor.

Having your formal dining table set all season long is a perfect and easy way to spruce up your home for the holiday season.  Its always ready whether you're hosting a party or have some last minute guests!



Saturday, December 11, 2010

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

I made this the other night for dinner....surprisingly delicious!!!!  The combination of ingredients seems a little strange- my brother Adam admitted he would probably throw up if he were cooking this- but this pasta has everything.  Its spicy, sweet, creamy, I laughed...I cried :)

Its quick and easy...try it!
Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

ingredients

  • 1  large (12 oz.)  sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (2 cups)
  • 1/2  tsp. each  sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon
  • 8  oz.  dried rigatoni
  • 1/3  cup  peanut butter
  • 1  3-oz. pkg.  cream cheese, cut up
  • 2  tsp.  Asian chili sauce (such as Sriracha sauce)
  • 1  Tbsp.  soy sauce
  • 6    green onions, thinly sliced

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a rimmed baking pan; set aside. Place sweet potato cubes in bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon. Spread in prepared pan; bake 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup hot pasta water.
3. In saucepan combine peanut butter, cream cheese, chili sauce, and soy sauce; whisk in 3/4 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir over medium heat until heated through. If too thick, stir in additional water. Stir in most of the green onions. Serve sauce over pasta with sweet potatoes and remaining onion. Makes 4 servings.

nutrition facts

  • Calories537, 
  • Total Fat (g)24, 
  • Saturated Fat (g)7, 
  • Monounsaturated Fat (g)10,
  • Polyunsaturated Fat (g)4, 
  • Cholesterol (mg)23, 
  • Sodium (mg)507, 
  • Carbohydrate (g)68,
  • Total Sugar (g)9, 
  • Fiber (g)7, 
  • Protein (g)16, 
  • Vitamin C (DV%)11, 
  • Calcium (DV%)9, 
  • Iron (DV%)19, 
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Friday, December 10, 2010

A Very Merry Thanksgiving

Sorry to backtrack, but I can't leave out one of the greatest days of this year....Thanksgiving!  Two families were able to get together, crowd around a large dining table and enjoy a delicious meal!
My dad was on turkey duty and was so involved with making sure it was perfect, he passed when asked to bring out his mashed potato skills! The deep-fried turkey was perfect! I really don't think I can ever eat turkey cooked a different way! 
Last year, Adrienne began a tradition and it has become one of my favorite parts of the day.  Each year, everyone who is with us at Thanksgiving gets a piece of paper and writes what they are thankful for.  We then read each out loud and attach them together to create a paper chain.  It looks a little dinky now, but in a few years is will be wonderfully long chain full of thankfulness! 
Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Boo's Xylophone

It took a little while to find exactly what I wanted to get Brenner for his birthday.  And although Brenner has more toys than a Toys R Us, I couldn't help but get him a....... 
XYLOPHONE!!! 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Baked Potato Soup

Finally, we are experiencing some chilly weather down here in Texas.  We've been blessed with a warm fall perfect for walks and playing outside.  But a cold front came through and its doing its job well.

This cozy sweater weather means its time for some yummy cold weather food.  Tonight, we made baked potato soup from scratch and with a fire going in the living room, it was perfect!

While some peeled and cubed potatoes were cooking in boiling water, we sauteed some onions and garlic in a separate large pot.  When the onions were nice and golden, we added some chicken stock, cubed ham and seasoning.  A little at a time, we transfered some of the softened potato chunks and the boiling water into the onion mixture.  The potatoes mashed and added to the thickness of the soup and when all of the potatoes were transferred over, we added some half and half, a little more seasoning and it was ready to go!  

For all of you northern readers up there.....its delicious! 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Houston Tree Lighting

On Friday, I headed to downtown Houston to meet up with my friend Caitlin to attend the Houston Tree Lighting! Caitlin and I went to Williamston High School together and she recently moved to Houston with her husband.  We met up with several of her friends at the lounge in the Houston Aquarium for some happy hour drinks.
Houston's Christmas tree in Hermann Park was just a few blocks from the Aquarium and around 6 , the holiday party started.  For an hour we enjoyed some musical performances by various choirs and even some Christmas carols by the singer of the famous song "Soul Train."  
At about 7pm, thousands of people counted down to light the city's tree and marvel at the fireworks that boomed amidst the sky scrapers! 
Reliant Energy provided the light-up Santa hats for anyone who wanted one and I loved the view of thousands of people in the holiday spirit! 
I had to stop to snap this picture of the Houston skyline as Caitlin and I walked to Market Square for dinner. 

Market Square was a delicious selection for dinner with yummy and cleverly named sandwiches (I dined on the BLT & A :) and some great beer! Yup! I said...beer! And we even walked our way over to La Carafe, the oldest bar in Houston to enjoy another beer!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Lots of Changes Going On

I know it doesn't seem like I've been doing too much on this ole' blog of mine, but even though there haven't been very many posts lately, I have been adding some new content!

Click on the links below to check out what E's been filling her cup with!

E is for Erika -- Just your standard "About Me" page.

Space Odyssey -- Here is where you'll find photos of some of my interior design projects.

Photo Lounge -- I always have my camera and this is a great place for some of the photos I've taken that might not have much to do with my design work.

Hand-E -- EB Beautique is still an outlet for some of my handmade items.  Hand-E is where you'll see a journal of the creations handmade by....E!

News Chews -- I've been blessed with a job that allows me so many outlets besides design.  I have collaborated with other designers on newspaper articles and editorials.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

So Thankful for....

I know its a little past due to post my blessings, but doesn't everyone always say 'better late than never!'  I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for as Christmas is sneaking up on us and will take a moment to share a few of the things that have enriched my life thus far.....

*Its been almost a year since moving into and helping establish the Hostel de Wamhoff and everyday is comforting, surprising, happy, and full of love.  Not to mention the endless supply of candy and homemade salsa!

*Not only am I lucky to have a job, I am extremely lucky to have a job that I love!  Yes, its full of challenges, learning situations, and sometimes crazy tasks, but the people I work with are a million blessings each and have allowed me the time and space to learn, grow, make mistakes, fall a little, and definitely rise a lot.

*I am currently infatuated with yogurt covered raisins. I am thankful for both yogurt and raisins and especially the person who decided to combine the two!

*Love is something I thank God for everyday, especially when it comes to my loving loving loving family!

*Christmas music.  I'm obsessed.  There is no possible way to listen to Christmas music and not be full of holiday cheer!  Try it! I dare you :)

*Cameras- I've recently determined that I am a 'visual reader.' I don't read text, I read pictures and other images because its amazing the types of things you can capture with a photo....(funny considering I blog!)  An entire story, a feeling -happiness, togetherness, awkwardness, inappropriateness- beauty, a mood, a reaction, a thought process, a fight, a triumph, or even nothing at all expressed on a single 5x7.

*I can't say I am a firm believer of fate, but I do think things happen for a reason and I am grateful for the people that have literally fallen out of the sky and bumped themselves into my life.  There are so many milliseconds that could have gone differently and completely changed where I would be right now.

*Pain killers and microwaved ice cream.  I couldn't have made it through a week of discomfort and pain without you...or my personal nurse! :)

Of course there is so much more but time is short and space is always limited!  Happy Holidays!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Open House at Thorntree

Last Thursday night, the By Design ladies were invited to celebrate the opening of Thorntree's new showroom at the Houston Design Center.  Thorntree was established in 1980 and  offers the largest selection of slate and unique natural stone, both to the Houston area and nationwide.  Their new showroom displays there their unbelievable array of natural and man-made products with marble topped work tables, an curved wall of honey gold onyx, and some of the most unique glass tiles I've seen!  You can learn a little more about Thorntree by visiting their website.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Finished project: Blue Tide Master Bath

My work is incredibly different day to day; sometimes I work on a project for a day then never see it again. Other times I work on a space from beginning to completion.  Sometimes I get to see the spaces throughout the entire process and other times, I don't see them at all.  So I was really excited to be able to see this completed and stunning master bathroom that I worked so much on during the summer.  The combination of materials is not only inventive, but also breathtaking! 

Enjoy a few of my snapshots and look for more to come on Cindy's website!






Friday, November 19, 2010

Turduckin: not just a myth!

This week, Cindy treated me to an unbelievable experience....lunch with a Viking Chef.  Here's the blog I wrote for Cindy about the experience:

Before spending all of your money on something, especially something a little pricey, its always nice to try it out.  We test drive cars, we watch the TVs in the store, we lay on mattresses, samples foods, smell all of the lotions, etc., etc. Why not test drive our cooking appliances? Viking appliances have excellent name recognition, but most people haven't cooked on a Viking range and its easy to overlook the value of such amazing appliances. 
Milestone Distributors here in Houston offers lunches on the first and third Tuesday of every month cooked by a Viking Chef on all Viking appliances.  During the meal, an expert offers information and insight to several of the Viking appliances available....as if you hear a word he or she says while you are munching on incredibly delicious food!
Potential buyers are also able to test the appliances for themselves.  You can make an appointment with Milestone, bring in your picnic basket full of goodies and try to cook up whatever your heart desires on some of the best quality appliances money can buy.
This particular meal began with a scrumptious fall salad, a slice of Turducken, veggies, and roasted fingerling potatoes and finished off with yummy pecan pie.  Until this lunch, I only believed Turducken to be a myth, something people only joke about cooking.  Lo and behold, it is a delicious combination of meets, stuffing and gravy!
Most of the food was prepared here, on the Viking Range with burners, a grill and griddle.  But Viking has many other appliances to offer....stay tuned to read some info on a few Viking appliances you just can't live with out!
Special thanks to Milestone and Viking for the tasty lunch! If you're interested in experiencing a Viking lunch or seeing some appliances, contact
 Milestone Distributors
10633 West Little York Road, Suite 200Houston, TX 77041  Ph. (713) 937-3200

If you ever get the opportunity....take it!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Makeover Your Garage Door

A friend of mine just recently sent me over this email about a German company that is making these decals for your garage doors.  The company, called "Style Your Garage" has a quite a collection designs to choose from that easily apply to the front of your garage door.  But they're not designs you might be thinking of....just take a look below!




While I've highlighted some of the funniest designs below, you can click here to visit Style Your Garage's website.